Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 1981 Winter;7(2):138-51.
doi: 10.1007/BF01323232.

Colorectal cancer screening

W B Applegate, M H Spector
Comparative Study

Colorectal cancer screening

W B Applegate et al. J Community Health. 1981 Winter.

Abstract

The efficacy of Hemoccult screening for colorectal carcinoma is analyzed utilizing five criteria which a screening test should fulfil before it is used for mass screening. The Hemoccult screening protocol has serious weaknesses. It is at best 83% sensitive for cancer and much less sensitive for polyps. An asymptomatic person with one or more positive Hemoccult slides only has a 12% chance of having cancer. In addition, patient acceptance of mass Hemoccult screening is questionable. There is currently little information on potential survival benefits, and Hemoccult screening is expensive with one quarter of all costs incurred in the diagnostic evaluation of false positives. There is insufficient evidence to recommend Hemoccult colorectal cancer screening in asymptomatic persons as a cost-effective practice.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Br Med Bull. 1971 Jan;27(1):3-8 - PubMed
    1. N Engl J Med. 1975 Jul 31;293(5):216-21 - PubMed
    1. N Engl J Med. 1975 Jul 31;293(5):226-8 - PubMed
    1. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1968 Sep;41(3):665-81 - PubMed
    1. Am J Public Health. 1978 Feb;68(2):135-8 - PubMed

Publication types